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Regulatory Governance and Independent Statutory Bodies form the backbone of the General Studies Paper-II (Polity and Governance) and
Public Administration syllabi.

In a post-1991 liberalised market economy, the role of the state shifted from being a direct provider/controller to a facilitator and regulator.
This gave rise to a “regulatory state” where expert, arm’s-length bodies manage complex sectors.

1. India’s first Public Service Commission was constituted on 1 October 1926 under the Public Service Commission (Functions) Rules, 1926,
framed under Sections 96B and 96C of the Government of India Act, 1919; Sir Ross Barker became its first Chairman, assisted by four
Members, and the Commission functioned from Metcalfe House, Delhi.

2. Competitive entry into the Indian Civil Service (ICS) began in 1855 in London, replacing the East India Company’s nomination system;
Satyendranath Tagore cleared the examination in 1863 and joined the service in 1864 as the first Indian ICS officer, while by 1919 only 78 of
1,255 ICS officers were Indian.

Civil Services Reforms in India aim to transform the traditional, rule-bound bureaucracy into a citizen-centric, agile, and technology-driven administrative setup. As the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) marks its centenary in October 2026, the focus has heavily shifted from purely selecting candidates to ensuring structural accountability, specialized talent infusion, and “time certainty” in recruitment.

The Anti-Defection Law was introduced into the Constitution of India to address political instability caused by legislators frequently changing political parties for opportunistic reasons (famously colloquially termed the “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” culture).

Constitutional Origin & Amendments

1. WAVES OTT was launched on 20 November 2024 at the 55th International Film Festival of India in Goa as Prasar Bharati’s public-service Over-the-Top (OTT) platform.

2. WAVES OTT integrates live television, radio, on-demand programmes, archival content, educational programmes, devotional content, publications, games and shopping on a single digital platform.

1. More than 9 lakh Community Resource Persons (CRPs) are active across rural India in areas such as livelihoods, banking, insurance, financial literacy, gender awareness and community development.

2. Nearly 4.08 lakh CRPs are engaged in livelihood-related activities covering agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forest produce and enterprise development.

1. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) was launched in June 2015 with the objective of “Housing for All” in urban areas.

2. PMAY-U provides all-weather pucca houses with basic civic amenities to eligible urban households.

1. India has about 10.4 crore Scheduled Tribe people, and Minor Forest Produce (MFP) contributes nearly 20–40 percent of the annual income of many forest-dwelling tribal families.

2. Important MFP items include honey, tendu leaves, mahua flowers, tamarind, lac, bamboo, wild herbs, wax, medicinal plants, roots, tubers, cane and tussar cocoons.

1. Article 370 and Article 35A Changes

On 5 August 2019, Article 370 was effectively rendered inoperative and Article 35A ceased to operate. The earlier special constitutional arrangement of Jammu & Kashmir was replaced by a new legal and administrative framework.

2. Reorganisation into Two Union Territories

The erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir with a legislature and Ladakh without a legislature.

1. Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India originated from the Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal in 1967 and was influenced by Maoist ideology and armed revolution.

2. Several extremist groups merged in 2004 to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which emerged as the principal Left-Wing Extremist organisation in the country.